Carrie Fisher

Cult movies: Rik Mayall steamrollers all in Drop Dead Fred

The late, great Rik Mayall may have shone brightest on the small screen, but he did make the odd somewhat ill-advised foray into the film world. Drop Dead Fred, from 1991, is a good example of one of those rare crossovers. Well, 'good' might be pushing it, but it's an example all the same.

Catastrophe: greatest TV ending since The Sopranos

Daring, mysterious and affecting, the conclusion to Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney's sitcom will be remembered alongside the great small-screen finales.

Catastrophe, Channel 4, series 4 finale review

Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney go out on a grief-stricken, hope-filled cliffhanger.

Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan end their modern classic of a sitcom by moving to the US for the funeral of Rob's mum, who was played by the late Carrie Fisher. In a whirl of snarling grief are the usual cathartic transgressions, and a perfect blend of cynicism and sentimentality. Peerless.

Catastrophe episode 6, finale review

The last ever episode highlights the fact there has really never been anything quite like this series before.

Catastrophe finale review

Through four years of caustic dissection of marriage and parenthood, the charisma, warmth and chemistry of Catastrophe's brilliant leads ensured we went out on a high.

Our highest-placed British sitcom is Catastrophe which has seen creators and stars Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney master the art of television writing. This superior third season saw TV's most likeable lead characters handed a more compelling trajectory than most drama series manage, with escalating life events involving parenthood, family deaths, and alcoholism dealt with in both hilarious and heartfelt manners. How the duo manages to convey an engrossing story amid the comedic antics is nothing short of sensational, positioning Catastrophe as a drama series that just happens to be filled with funny characters (including Rob's mother, Mia, played delectably by the late Carrie Fisher). A series to be preserved for future "this is how you do it" masterclasses.

The 20 best TV comedies of 2017

Here - in no particular order - are the 20 best shows from 2017.

50 best TV shows of 2017, #18: Grief, addiction and a posthumous appearance by Carrie Fisher meant Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan's sitcom was heartbreaking this year as well as cathartically filthy.

The week in TV: The Trip to Spain; Catastrophe - review

Coogan and Brydon made magic of middle age on the road in Spain, and Sharon Horgan reached for the loo roll.